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The Board

I'm not sure of there's a thread elsewhere or maybe a couple of disparate ones about certain members of the board/club hierarchy but I thought now would be a good time to post a thread giving them some credit.....because they got plenty of stick a while back, perhaps rightly so.

But it's just been quite astounding to see how they've turned us from the club getting mugged off on transfers to a club who buy great players for value (Matic being the prime example) whilst selling fringe players not just for profit, but for fees bordering on extortionate (Mata, Luiz). Not only that but players like Courtois and Lukaku have doubled or perhaps even tripled in value whilst our commercial revenues continue to increase and we comply with FFP.

So I thought it would be interesting to see what other people think, in light of the performance of people like Woodward at United and the criticism Gourlay, Buck, Emenalo et al received in the past.

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Emenalo is a guy a lot of people used to slate but ever since he's come in we've done extremely well with our transfers. The majority of the players that we signed have mostly increased in value - that alone should tell you how wonderful the board and him have done since his appointment. A lot of credit has to go to him.

Now, with Mourinho here we'll be able to attract even more players because of his prestige as a manager. Him and Emanalo are going to make a good team.

I trust them to get it right this summer - because if they do, we'll have the right squad to dominate for years. Costa, a world class CM and a top LB and we're done.

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In the last 1-2 years it did seem like we only wanted to sign attacking players, it did get ridiculous at times but the last year especially with Mourinho and Emenalo we have been going in the right direction, Mourinho is a football man, he knows what players we need to make us more balanced and competitive, while Emenalo essentially can look for the type of players Mourinho wants.

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I think the FFP has sharpened peoples decisions, and the board and 200+ scouts are under more pressure to make prudent and worthwhile sales and purchases, than before. Hopefully lessons have been learned post Torres as well.

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Great post, TOPTB. Glad someone else appreciates the brilliant business. Too many people get sentimental to the person that each player is, rather than the player's actual ability. People like Mata and Luiz are technically wonderful players, but they are square pegs for the round holes of Mourinho's Chelsea. If people want to pay ridiculous money for bit-part/surplus to requirements players, be my guest.

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The points mentioned in the first post are not necessarily wrong but whether the board has done a really good job depends in a certain way. As it is, yeah, one can say the board has done well in getting 100m from selling 3 non-first team players in De Bruyne, Mata and Luiz and in the process, getting us a hefty profit when the price we bought team at are taken into account. On the other hand, one could also say the board is paying its price for the constant sacking of managers in the past few years. They had a clear thought of what they want the team to be like and/or playing and bought certain kind of players (including the sillyness of flocking the team with like 100 AMs!) and even wanted/hired specific managers to implement that. In the end, that failed and we got a manager that doesn't necessarily complement with that and having to sell those players and get in new ones to build the team again (even if it brought profit). This is without mentioning the fact that board was only interested in getting AMs, mostly, and failed to fix the apparent problems that have been evident for years (till now!) even if we got 1-2 gems along the way.

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I've always seen Oscar as a Pirlo/Modric type player if he's played in the pivot area. But none of the 3 coaches we've had have ever really played him there so I'm guessing he's missing something the others have

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I've always seen Oscar as a Pirlo/Modric type player if he's played in the pivot area. But none of the 3 coaches we've had have ever really played him there so I'm guessing he's missing something the others have

You need excellent technical ability(close control,passing range) and vision to excel in that role, qualities oscar lacks. I find the comparison insulting to those players actually

There's no similarity whatsoever between oscar and those amazing footballers and there's a reason top class DLP are in short supply and very rare.

Oscar is more similar to thomas muller,albeit a less efficient and inconsistent version,if anything.

And you are absolutely right, he's missing the technical ability and vision those players posess.

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In the current market modric is worth more than 50m as he's arguably the best midfielder in the world. He took over the mantle left by the ageing xavi imo

What?? Seriously?? He isn't even the best midfielder at his club. Xabi Alonso imo is much better. I have never rated Modric, even back in his Spurs days i thought he was overrated. To go and blow 50mill on him imo wouldn't be far off Torres as the most ridicilous transfer this club has ever made.

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What?? Seriously?? He isn't even the best midfielder at his club. Xabi Alonso imo is much better. I have never rated Modric, even back in his Spurs days i thought he was overrated. To go and blow 50mill on him imo wouldn't be far off Torres as the most ridicilous transfer this club has ever made.

you should really watch a couple of RM matches. the team was being carried by modric and maria. their heart and soul.